Galanthus in March 2014

[Tim Ingram]

Yes - I am sure you are right Alan. My experience of gardening is that I continually make mistakes and experiment, which is either a degree of pigheadedness or something I learn from! Having said this the great thing about listening to Jānis speaking (and writing) about his experiences of plants in Nature is that you do slowly gain a greater sensitivity to the natural ecology of plants which must translate to the garden. The bigger point is that he has experience of very many plants from similar and distinct ecological habitats and of course this does lead to grouping plants into different categories depending on their lifestyles rather than nomenclature. I find that the subtleties of gardening seem to impress on me more and more now I actually know a little more about what I am doing! Lots of gardeners try these rare species but quite often all we see of them is at Shows with very little impression of how you might go about growing them in garden conditions. It's quite valuable to read of individual gardener's experiences in addition to seeing exciting plants pictured on the Forum for example. The big difference between gardener and nurseryman is that the latter wants to increase plants as effectively as possible to satisfy the demands of the former; but these two professions really merge together! (I always remember Elizabeth Strangman at Washfield being very loath to sell plants to customers unless she thought them capable of growing them but that does tend to keep more educated gardening at an arm's length from newcomers!).

[ian mcenery]

Here one of the last to open. G platyphyllus it grows but is very slow to increase here. I have the same experience with krasnovii shown earlier in the thread. Perhaps it needs more cold and moisture at flowering time

[Mariette]

Which part of the world you meant exactly? I can't see where you come from.

I´m living in the very west of Germany, near the Dutch border. The early forms of Galanthus elwesii var. monostictus flowered at the usual time, whereas Kyre Park and other early selections of G.e. var. elwesii started flowering later than the years before. So did Three Ships and, for instance, John Long. The latter started 2013 in early January and lasted for 8 weeks, this season only 3 weeks after beginning in mid February.

[Tim Ingram]

Ian - thanks for the picture of G. platyphyllus. The climate in Latvia sounds as though it must be much more suited to it! Also Fritillaria alburyana (just one example) is 'not very difficult in the garden here' (Popova and Ruckšāns 2014 catalogue!). G. platyphyllus is added to my wants list along with a regular supply of ice cubes for spring!

[ian mcenery]

Ian - thanks for the picture of G. platyphyllus. The climate in Latvia sounds as though it must be much more suited to it! Also Fritillaria alburyana (just one example) is 'not very difficult in the garden here' (Popova and Ruckšāns 2014 catalogue!). G. platyphyllus is added to my wants list along with a regular supply of ice cubes for spring!

Tim I have had the plant for about 4 years now and am still awaiting  the development of an offset. This form was reputed to come from the Georgian Military Highway, a famous site for the plant. The species is said to be found at the highest altitude of any snowdrop up to 2800 metres. I moved this one last year along with krasnovii   to a spot which has more moisture and should be marginally colder. We will see

[Brian Ellis]

My G. platyphyllus is now showing white.  I was advised to grow it in an open sunny, swampy position.  It's in a pot and has been regularly drenched since snowmelt in East Anglia (ha ha).  Perhaps I didn't start quite early enough?

[annew]

My G. platyphyllus is now showing white.  I was advised to grow it in an open sunny, swampy position.  It's in a pot and has been regularly drenched since snowmelt in East Anglia (ha ha).  Perhaps I didn't start quite early enough?

Mine's in bud, plunged in sand, shaded by its neighbours. Oooops..

[Alan_b]

Mine's in bud, plunged in sand, shaded by its neighbours.

But if it's in bud it must be relatively happy so that regime seems to be working.

[ian mcenery]

Mine's in bud, plunged in sand, shaded by its neighbours. Oooops..

Watch out for slugs Anne  - they love em

[Alan_b]

I´m living in the very west of Germany, near the Dutch border. The early forms of Galanthus elwesii var. monostictus flowered at the usual time, whereas Kyre Park and other early selections of G.e. var. elwesii started flowering later than the years before. So did Three Ships and, for instance, John Long. The latter started 2013 in early January and lasted for 8 weeks, this season only 3 weeks after beginning in mid February.

Snowdrops remain in flower for two to three weeks in warmer weather but remain 'suspended' in colder weather.  In a normal season here in the UK there will be a week or more of cold weather whilst the snowdrops are in flower so the flowering time is prolonged.

The time at which different snowdrop cultivars start flowering can vary a lot from year to year.  It presumably depends on the weather but I don't think anyone knows how.  As you have observed, not all cultivars move in sync. so in any given year some might be earlier than their average and others later.   

[Mariette]

Thank You, Alan, for Your reply! As the winters in Britain and Ireland are generally milder than in our area, a possible connection of frost periods and snowdrop clones beginning to flower might have been more obvious.

[Roma]

Galanthus platyphyllus
Last to flower with me too.  I used to have it close to a rhododendron but now it is growing near a Viburnum.  It would have been quite dry and shaded in the summer by three large Betula utilis but I had them cut down last year so conditions will be different this year.  I think I had 4 pairs of bulbs last year but only 2 pairs flowering this year.  The other two seem to be single bulbs this year.  It is very slow to increase.   I started with one bulb in 1979 and have given away one or two bulbs on three or four occasions so not a big increase.  It does set seed sometimes but usually gets eaten by slugs or on one occasion trampled by a deer sharpening his horns on the Viburnum.

[Roma]

I was checking last year's flowering time and discovered it coming through snow on March 19th .  It usually flowers around the middle of March regardless of weather, not like the other snowdrops which can vary with the weather.

[Roma]

Galanthus plicatus 'Warham Group'  is the latest of my other snowdrops to flower.  The last few days have been quite warm so they have not lasted long.  The flowers are small, but it is worth growing for the leaves.  It increases fast from division and seed.  A seedling appeared with bigger flowers and broader leaves.

[Leena]

It is good to know about these late snowdrops.
Here my snowdrops are still partly under the snow, but from Friday on, it will be warmer again and the snow should melt away and snowdrops continue to flower.